Basketball Terminal

Chapter 116 is required.

Li Wei made the free throw. His strong performance on both ends of the court at the start of the game left the Timberwolves' two exceptionally talented number one draft picks frustrated.

Before the game, the Nets had carefully studied the Timberwolves' two number-one draft picks. The two teams had faced off once in March, with the Nets narrowly defeating the Timberwolves at home. Towns played exceptionally well in that game, shooting 5-for-9 from three-point range against the Nets' zone defense, scoring 32 points with a high shooting percentage.

Edwards had an off night, going 0-for-7 from three-point range and scoring zero points, resulting in a narrow defeat for the Timberwolves.

In today's game, with two of their stars missing, the Nets implemented a targeted defensive strategy. Levi was tasked with primarily guarding Towns, whose outside shooting is a significant threat. Towns isn't the kind of "big man who can shoot threes" of the past; for those players, three-pointers are merely icing on the cake. Towns is a true modern big man who uses three-point shooting as his core scoring method.

Last season, Towns averaged 7.9 three-point attempts per game, more than most outside shooters. His 41% success rate is at the level of an excellent shooter, a true outside artillery machine.

Edwards, as an outside player, needs to improve his shooting ability. He has shooting talent, but he still needs to hone it. He is very dependent on his shooting touch during games, and his performance fluctuates greatly. When he's on a good run, he's perfect, but when he's off, he can easily go 0-for-7 or 1-for-6, which is a common problem for young players.

Edwards' other significant weakness lies in his ball handling on the perimeter. He lacks court vision and passing flair, and once the game falls into a half-court set without a fast break, his playmaking ability is quite poor. His ball handling when double-teamed is also very hasty; his first thought isn't how to pass to break through the defense, but how to protect possession. This is fatal for half-court offense, wasting valuable time.

In this respect, Edwards is similar to the early Durant. Early on, Durant's ball-handling wasn't great either, and Edwards idolized Durant. However, Durant has a natural advantage in height and wingspan; his offensive ability and passing vision are better than Edwards'. At only 193cm tall, Edwards struggles much more against the combined defense of taller players.

After Li Wei made the free throw, the Timberwolves finally broke their scoring drought with a three-pointer from McDaniels on the wing.

In a half-court set by the Nets, Levi and Chiozza executed another 45-degree pick-and-roll, drawing most of the Timberwolves' defensive attention but failing to notice Harris cutting to the basket. Chiozza's pass was indeed impressive, a one-handed flick that slipped the ball through the defense into the paint, where Harris caught it and finished with a reverse layup off the backboard!

The fast-paced and highly complex teamwork was executed flawlessly. When their star players weren't on the court, the Nets played exceptionally well as a team, with everyone seeing themselves as vital, actively moving, setting screens, and cutting. Chiozza played with remarkable confidence. While Levi was the core of this lineup, he was primarily a defensive anchor and a spiritual leader, not dominating the ball; everyone was treated equally on offense.

Then, on defense, Levi assisted Chiozza in helping guard McDaniels, combining to push him out of bounds, resulting in a Timberwolves turnover. The two high-fived, a perfect team effort. Levi's attack was timely, risking leaving Towns open under the basket, but defense is sometimes a gamble, and this time it paid off. Levi knew the Timberwolves' ball movement wasn't very good.

On offense, Chiozza and Harris executed a handoff, and DeAndre Jordan cut to the basket in the middle. Instead of passing to Jordan, Harris passed to Li Wei on the weak side at the 45-degree angle. Li Wei received the ball, faked a shot, took a step forward, and passed to Jeff Green in the corner. Jeff Green caught the ball and launched a three-pointer, which went in!
Levi added 1 assist. The Nets' strong-side and weak-side ball movement, along with their feints on offense, was excellent. Levi and Chiozza's pre-game discussion was correct. Against a weak team like the Timberwolves with mediocre defense, active strong-side and weak-side ball movement combined with some fakes is the most effective way to deceive the opponent.

Steve Nash, directing from the sidelines, couldn't believe it. "Is this the team I coached? Do I... even teach them to play like this?" With so many assistant coaches, Nash sometimes couldn't tell who taught or instructed what.

We can't worry about that now, as long as we can put on a good offense. The key is still defense. Don't be fooled by the Nets' big lead now; the Timberwolves can close that gap in just a few possessions if their offense finds its rhythm. That's the reality of the league.

It was Levi's turn to dominate again. Towns was positioning himself on the left low post, calling for the ball. Rubio passed it to Towns, and Towns tried to squeeze in. He pushed, pushed, and pushed some more! But he just couldn't get past him! Towns' body was practically stretched into a noodle, but Levi was rooted to the baseline, completely unmoved. He was practically using Armament Haki on his lower body; how could Towns possibly budge him?
"Go ahead and push harder!" Levi encouraged Towns, urging him to push harder.

Towns tried his best, but he simply couldn't keep up. For a 7-footer, Towns' problem lies in his knees. Legs are the source of power; an interior player's ability to hold their own isn't determined by arm or chest muscles, but by their legs, knees, and glutes.

Dwight Howard, nicknamed "Superman," had arms as thick as thighs, and at his peak, his shoulders looked like they were covered in shoulder armor, making him unstoppable in the paint. However, he suffered greatly when facing Yao Ming, who had a solid foundation, because his lower limbs were too thin. He relied on explosive, high-energy drives and couldn't overcome a true traditional heavyweight center.

Towns, plagued by injuries, now wears compression shorts during games. Last season, he missed a significant number of games due to a knee injury, and the loss of his mother to pneumonia dealt him a heavy blow, causing his physical condition to decline and his playing style to become increasingly perimeter-oriented. Against a player like Levi, he's bound to suffer.

Helpless, he passed the ball to Rubio, who was cutting to the basket. Rubio drove to the basket for a layup, but Li Wei found an opportunity from behind and blocked the shot.

When Nash saw Levi's move of first blocking one opponent and then catching another, the image of Tim Duncan flashed through his mind. He remembered Duncan's defensive style against the Suns. Nash couldn't help but shudder and get goosebumps.

The Nets launched a counterattack, with Chiozza making a long pass to the frontcourt. Harris received the ball under the basket, but the angle wasn't ideal. He dribbled to adjust and attempted a layup, but McDaniels, who was on the defensive end, blocked it. A great opportunity to extend their lead was thwarted by the Timberwolves. McDaniels is a very talented young player, tall and slender, a classic 3-and-D outside shooter.

The block eased the Timberwolves' crisis, and on the counterattack, Rubio hit a three-pointer, narrowing the gap. Finch, who was sitting on the sidelines about to call a timeout, breathed a sigh of relief. After stints with the Jazz and Suns, Rubio has returned to Minnesota. The former Spanish golden boy is now a 30-year-old man with a full beard.

His shooting is still criticized. If he makes one shot like this, his job is done for the game. He probably won't make any more shots.

The Timberwolves, having regained their composure, gradually intensified their defense and their offense began to improve. Jeff Green missed a mid-range jumper, and Towns stopped trying to challenge Levi in ​​the low post, opting instead to receive the ball at the top of the key and hit a mid-range jumper. The point difference narrowed further, and the Nets needed to score, but they lacked a dominant ball-handler – a problem stemming from their underwhelming roster.

Tactics are not always effective. When tactics fail to work, a superstar can step up and solve the problem, keeping the team's offensive momentum going. Otherwise, the team is likely to collapse and be overwhelmed by the opponent's counterattack.

Li Wei had rested for a while since his 2+1 free throw, and it was his turn to stir things up again. Harris missed a three-pointer, Li Wei grabbed the offensive rebound, activated his Armament Haki, and hurled the ball toward the basket, drawing a foul from a Timberwolves player and going to the free-throw line. Free throws are truly a wonderful thing; no one's guarding you, easy points, you can draw fouls, and you can even get some rest.

No wonder Harden loved drawing fouls and scoring points back then; the cost-effectiveness was incredibly high, much more efficient than mid-range shots and comparable to three-pointers. Li Wei stepped to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, hesitated for a few seconds, and then calmly sank the first free throw. For the second free throw, he even imitated Nash by licking his hand and tugging at it, making Nash look a little disgusted, frowning and shaking his head.

D'Antoni, standing nearby, said, "You've always been like this."

Was I like this before?

"Of course! The match video has been recorded."

"God, I must have been crazy back then."

Both free throws went in, and the Nets maintained their lead. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves found their offensive rhythm. Rubio, as an experienced point guard, realized that Towns and Edwards were being targeted, especially the number 0 player, whose defensive capabilities were very strong. As the playmaker, he shifted his offensive focus to the role players.

Josh Okogie received a pass from Rubio and hit a three-pointer from the right corner. The corner has always been a weakness of the Nets' zone defense, and the Timberwolves had already made three three-pointers in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Nets' outside three-pointers were still missing, which wasn't good news for them. But Levi grabbed another offensive rebound—a long rebound—and near the free-throw line, he suddenly made a behind-the-back pass to DeAndre Jordan under the basket, who caught the ball and dunked it powerfully!
A brilliant no-look pass from Levi, as if he had eyes in the backside, caught the Timberwolves completely off guard. Edwards, facing the Nets' zone defense, attempted a three-pointer, which went wildly off target, and Levi grabbed the rebound. He passed to Chiozza, and the Nets launched a fast break. Levi drove to the basket, activating his Armament Haki, and like a mini-Malone, attacked the rim, pushing aside McGrady who was trying to block him. Although he missed the layup, he drew a foul!
Finch was getting nervous. Another foul? Who's this number 0? Is he some Asian star the league's pushing up? Are they keeping giving him calls and making him shoot free throws to try and win back the Chinese market?
Finch yelled at the referee, arguing with him. The referee shook his head, saying, "That was an obvious foul. I didn't favor anyone; it was a clear foul." The television replay showed it was indeed a clear downward tackle foul, often committed when the player is outmatched in physical contact and unable to gain position, leaving them with no choice but to use their arm. Finch glanced at the replay on the big screen, could only shrug, shake his head helplessly, and mutter, "Where did this guy come from?"

In the last game against the Nets, Li Wei's performance wasn't this exaggerated; he was just an excellent defender. How did he transform into an offensive machine tonight? And it's free throws again! This is Li Wei's fifth free throw in the first quarter. Will he get 20 free throws this game? His explosive free throw power is astonishing.

Li Wei, however, was finding himself increasingly adept at using Armament Haki. Because of his focus on strength training, the area covered by his Armament Haki was increasing, and its duration was lengthening. He estimated that after another year and a half of training, mastering Armament Haki from head to toe wouldn't be a problem. By then, he'd be a true "little black man," and only then could he hold his own against other black men.

His finishing ability around the basket is lacking; otherwise, both plays would have resulted in 2+1 plays instead of two free throws, which would have been much more impactful. The consecutive free throws and drawing fouls inflicted significant damage on the Timberwolves. McDaniels and Towns dared not use aggressive defense anymore, otherwise they would have had to sit out after committing two fouls in the first quarter. This series of plays effectively suppressed the Timberwolves' comeback momentum fueled by three three-pointers.

Levi successfully stole the ball from Edwards on the defensive end. Edwards hesitated too much when passing the ball. On the fast break, he bounced the ball to the fast-running Cheozza, who caught the ball and made a layup! This forced the Timberwolves to call a timeout! Levi's impactful performance on both ends of the court helped the Nets take a large lead over the Timberwolves.

Back on the bench, his teammates came over and high-fived Li Wei. Li Wei gulped down water; in the first half of the first quarter, his stamina and rhythm control were excellent. Li Wei was pleasantly surprised to find his stamina bar increasing. In the past, after playing such a brilliant half-quarter, he would have begged Nash to substitute him—he was exhausted. Now, he felt he could play for a while longer; his physique truly had great potential, and his stamina bar was replenishing rapidly.

The Timberwolves' lack of intensity is also a contributing factor, explaining their current poor position in the Western Conference. Their offense is disorganized, their defense is loose, they fail to protect the defensive rebounds, and they haven't made any specific plans to counter Levi, such as assigning someone to wear him down, giving Levi too much room to operate.

Chris Finch realized this and, after the timeout, substituted Naz Reid, letting Reid wear down Levi at the power forward position.

Like Levy, Naz Reid went undrafted. He played one year at Louisiana State University and entered the draft, but was not selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. He joined the Iowa Timberwolves, the affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves, in search of an opportunity to play in the NBA. Despite being a missed opportunity, he quickly made a name for himself and was recruited by the Timberwolves, becoming an important member of the team's rotation.

Reed had a much better foundation than Li Wei. He was a five-star high school player. The main reason he was not selected was that the teams were worried that he could not control his weight and that he had a big problem with his physical fitness, which might make him unable to adapt to the brutal intensity of the NBA.

Back then, Reed was a chubby guy. Judging from his appearance and body fat percentage, it was hard not to think of those chubby guys who quickly fell into the league after entering the league, such as Eddie Curry, Oliver Miller, Michael Sweetney, and Robert Treller.

Moreover, the league now demands more and more speed, leaving no room for big men in the paint, so it's only natural that Naz Reid was left out of the draft.

Reed did not give up on himself. After entering the Development League, he actively lost weight and worked hard to improve his physical fitness, losing more than 30 pounds, from 264 pounds (119 kg) to about 230 pounds (105 kg). He transformed from a chubby center who was somewhat unsteady in the paint and was being phased out by the times into a modern stretch four with a strong physique and outside shooting ability.

For a fat guy to go from 120 kg to 105 kg, the effort and sweat he put in is unimaginable, so Reed's ability to fight is quite strong. He is taller than Li Wei, a standard 6'9" (206") tall without any exaggeration, and as a five-star high school student, his physical attributes such as wingspan and jumping ability are also very good.

The two engaged in a fierce battle for the basket. Reed kept a close eye on Li Wei, and their contact was clean. Reed was a diligent and low-key player, always working hard in silence. Li Wei faced a challenge, but he didn't confront Reed head-on. He knew his momentum was waning, while his opponent had just entered the game and was riding high.

Li Wei curbed his offensive drive, focusing entirely on defense and rebounding, battling for boards against taller centers like Reed and Towns. His accurate anticipation and strong positioning allowed him to hold his own in the rebounding struggles. This helped the Nets maintain a 10-point lead until the end of the first quarter.

33-23. Li Wei scored 9 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, blocked 1 shot, and made 2 steals in the first quarter, including 4 offensive rebounds, making him the key contributor to the Nets' first-quarter lead. The two number-one draft picks, Towns and Edwards, had mediocre stats and performances, combining for only 4 points. Instead, McGrady and Rubio carried the Timberwolves' offense. D'Angelo Russell, especially, who came on in the latter part of the first quarter, was the main reason the Timberwolves were able to keep the score close.

Li Wei knew that in the following games, he would inevitably get entangled with Naz Reed, a tough guy to deal with. On the Timberwolves' bench, Reed was equally surprised by Li Wei's toughness in physical battles and his cunning when fighting for rebounds.

In the second quarter, Kevin Durant finally entered the game. Li Wei looked up at the scoreboard; a 10-point lead was enough for him to squander, bro. The Timberwolves also fielded their rotation lineup, with D'Angelo Russell, who had bounced around with various teams in recent seasons, being the offensive spearhead on the perimeter besides Reed.

As the second overall pick in the 17 Lakers draft, and one of the Lakers' future stars, D'Angelo Russell was quickly traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Kyle Kuzma after a locker room incident involving a leak of his teammates' secrets. He had an All-Star season with the Nets, but was then sent to the Warriors in the 19 Kevin Durant trade. During the Warriors' tanking season, he averaged 23 points per game—good stats, but low efficiency—and was quickly traded to Andrew Wiggins.

D'Angelo Russell is like a versatile trade asset. He has some ability and can put up decent numbers, but he can't be the core of a strong team or a quality piece for a championship. He's been traded around to get the players that championship teams really need.

However, any player who can survive in the NBA has some skills. Players like D'Angelo Russell, who can make the All-Star team, be traded around, and yet always manage to be traded, have their advantages. Such players often can't be effective on strong teams because they have superstars who are better than them on offense, and they lack defensive skills, so they naturally have no place to use their talents.

On a weak team like the Timberwolves, which lacks outside offensive firepower, Russell had room to shine. After entering the game in the first quarter, Russell scored 13 points with his individual ability, single-handedly carrying the Timberwolves' outside offense. Together with Reed, they combined on offense and defense, preventing the Timberwolves from being slaughtered by the Nets.

At the start of the second quarter, Durant missed a tough three-pointer, Russell grabbed the rebound, launched a fast break, used a double screen to drive to the left side, dribbled between his legs several times, and then, facing Shamet's defense, hit a fadeaway jumper! A mid-range shot, clearly Russell was on fire, continuing his good form from the first quarter.

High post, Chiozza and Griffin executed a pick-and-roll, giving Griffin a chance to cut to the basket for a three-pointer. However, Griffin opted for a direct pass to Shamet under the rim. It was a good pass, but Shamet's turnaround floater was blocked by McDaniels! McDaniels' second block tonight gave the Timberwolves another fast break opportunity.

D'Angelo Russell, in excellent form, used his slow but well-paced three-pointer to break through the defense, drive to the basket, and launch a left-handed floater that went in off the backboard! He scored 4 points in a row, narrowing the gap to 6. Russell has real talent on offense; years of honing his skills have made him a formidable player when he's in form, a typical sixth man.

However, once he's off the court, he becomes a defensive liability, and offensively, he's useless except for shooting. This is a major reason why he can't be a valuable piece for a strong team. Like Jamal Crawford back in the day, when he's on fire, he can score 52 points in a game, something most role players can't match. In his best season with the Knicks, he averaged 20 points per game.

However, he didn't play in the playoffs for the first nine seasons of his career. It wasn't until the 2009-2010 season, when he joined the Hawks, that he made his first playoff appearance. After that, he consistently played in the playoffs with the Clippers, but he could never break the Western Conference Finals curse. Crawford's most memorable performance was always when the Clippers had no one else who could score, so they would pass the ball to him to solve the problem. He could score, but he couldn't kill the game or the series. The Finals and the championship were always out of his reach.

D'Angelo Russell's situation is remarkably similar to Jamal Crawford's. Russell's career-high score was even 52 points, achieved last season with the Warriors. Their opponent was the Timberwolves, and the game likely stunned them, making them think, "Wow, this guy is incredible!" The Warriors then said, "He's good enough for you, we'll give him to you in exchange for Wiggins," and so, mid-season, Russell and Wiggins were traded.

Once the Timberwolves actually got their hands on him, they realized he was a staple for weak teams. He was very useful in certain games and at certain stages, but overall, his weaknesses were too obvious.

In this game, Russell was in his prime. The Nets' weak perimeter defense and tendency to use zone defense gave Russell space to shoot, allowing him to find his rhythm. Durant, on the other hand, didn't play in the first quarter and was still finding his form when he returned in the second. His tough three-point attempts from beyond the arc missed, and the Nets' offense stalled.

On the counterattack, D'Angelo Russell dropped to the corner, the widest opening on the Nets' defense, received a pass from Reed, and launched a three-pointer that went in! He scored 7 consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 3! The Nets had to call a timeout; just over two minutes into the second quarter, Durant hadn't scored yet.

Nash glanced at the bench. This time, Li Wei didn't shy away and stood up on his own initiative. He knew, Kevin Durant, you fucking need me!
(End of this chapter)